Centre releases pig breeding protocol aimed at Northeast farmers

The Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has released a national set of standards for pig semen production and artificial insemination, with the Northeast, home to nearly half of India's pigs, named as the main beneficiary, according to a Press Information Bureau release carried by DD India.

Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh released the document, titled "Minimum Standard Protocol for Semen Production and Standard Operating Procedures for Artificial Insemination using Liquid Semen in Pigs", during his two-day visit to Sikkim on November 2.

What the protocol covers

The publication lays down how pig semen laboratories should be set up and run, and how artificial insemination services should be delivered across the country. It covers the full chain: choosing breeding boars, collecting and testing semen, processing, storage and transport, laboratory quality checks, and disease prevention and biosecurity.

It is meant as a practical guide for state governments, veterinarians, breeding centres and farmers, the release said.

Why it matters for the Northeast

India had about 9.06 million pigs according to the 20th Livestock Census (2019), around 1.7% of the country's livestock. The northeastern region accounts for close to 45% of that pig population, making pork a key source of income for many rural households in states such as Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya and Assam.

About 79% of India's pigs are indigenous or non-descript breeds, which the ministry sees as room for genetic improvement through better breeding. The government expects the protocol to improve access to quality germplasm and breeding technology, raise reproductive efficiency and pork output, and help conserve and upgrade indigenous pig breeds, particularly in the Northeast.

The region still depends heavily on pork brought in from other states, and wider use of artificial insemination is seen as one way for smallholder farmers to raise better animals without keeping their own breeding boars.